Brussels, 01/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 1 March, France passed the northern joint-presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) to the European, Union, the French Foreign Ministry has announced. This comes after the decision by the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday to re-organise the European part of the UfM presidency in line with the Lisbon Treaty (see EUROPE 10561).
“Transferring the joint-presidency of the UfM to the European Union is a clear illustration of the European Union's central role in supporting the changes that are taking place in the south of the Mediterranean, a role which has already been highlighted through extension of the European Neighbourhood Agreement. The European Union will thus make its bilateral transition support more coherent, in acting regionally within the framework of the UfM, the one body for Euro-Mediterranean cooperation based on the principles of equality and joint ownership”, France said.
On the Arab side, the joint-presidency held by Egypt is also up for grabs but no southern rim country has so far shown any interest in taking over. It is said that the post could go to Jordan, one of the few countries, along with Morocco and Egypt, which has contact with Israel, also a member of the UfM. Tunisia, which has been touted as a possibility, cannot decide given developments in its domestic politics for reasons related to dialogue with Israel.
A spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry seized the opportunity to take stock of France's term as UfM joint-president since the ministerial meeting in Marseilles in November 2008. “At a time when the peoples of the Arab world are claiming their right to dignity, freedom and democracy, the Union for the Mediterranean, carrying on from the Barcelona Process, which was launched in November 1995, will better reflect the new realities in the region and foster socio-economic convergence between the two shores of the Mediterranean, on which shared stability and prosperity can be built. France, which, with Egypt, has jointly chaired the Union for the Mediterranean since its foundation in July 2008 has given particular support to definite projects able to meet the needs of the people of the southern shore: completion of the trans-Maghreb motorway, the Mediterranean Solar Plan, projects by the Women's Foundation for the Mediterranean, projects to encourage student and research mobility and a project to build a sea water desalination plant in Gaza.”
He said that “enhancing the role of the European Union in the governance of the Union for the Mediterranean will also mean the EU, through the European neighbourhood policy, will provide greater support for concrete UfM projects”. (FB/transl.rt)